Major city · Maldives
Ukulhasއުކުޅަސް
Go for 3 nights if you want quiet diving, fishing and a bikini beach without crowds; skip if you need alcohol, ATMs or fast transfers.
Ukulhas is a small inhabited island in North Ari Atoll, about 1,025 m long and 225 m wide, open to tourism only since late 2012. You walk everywhere in under 30 minutes. It suits divers, snorkellers and anglers who want a local island with a bikini beach and no resort bill; it does not suit anyone who needs nightlife, alcohol or a same-day speedboat on demand.
More ways in
Local time, weather, currency, airports
- Weather
- see forecast
- Currency
- MVR
- Best months
- Dec–Apr (dry season, highest prices)
- avoid May–Nov (wet season, rougher crossings)
- Airport
- MLE
- Nights
- 3
Rules in force · 5
- South Asia ↗Trekking regions, border districts and several Indian states need separate permits on top of the visa; check the permit before you book transport into them.
- South Asia ↗Remove shoes (and in many Jain and Hindu temples, leather) before entering; cover shoulders and legs; ask before photographing people or rituals.
- Maldives ↗Seaplane transfers fly in daylight only, and the last departure is set by sunset for that day; a late landing at Velana usually means a night on land and the seaplane next morning.
- Maldives ↗Local islands follow Islamic norms: alcohol is not sold, cover shoulders and knees in the village, and swimwear is for the designated tourist beach only.
- Maldives ↗Submit the online Traveller Declaration within 96 hours before arrival; airlines and immigration ask for the confirmation.
What is in this basic guide9 covered · 4 not yet ▾
In this guide
Not in this guide yet
- Walking areas with bag rules
- Day plans checked against opening hours
- Airport-to-bed timings and the last safe connection
- Field-checked times and prices
Official sites
Emergency numbers for Ukulhas119 ▾
Tap a number to call from your phone. These are the numbers listed in this guide; a row marked check has not been verified.
EssentialsQuick answers and what things cost
Essentials
Quick answers and what things cost
Quick answers
The questions people ask first about Ukulhas, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.
- Cash or card?Maldivian rufiyaa (MVR); resorts bill in US dollars and add service charge and tax; US dollars are widely accepted.Maldives-wide
- SIM or eSIMDhiraagu and Ooredoo sell tourist SIMs and eSIMs at Velana arrivals with your passport.Maldives-wide
- Tap waterTap water is desalinated; resorts provide filtered water in glass bottles.Maldives-wide
- TippingResort: 10% service charge is on the bill; many guests add US$5–10 a day for room staff or butler.Maldives-wide
- Plugs & powerSockets D/G. US/Canada (A/B): adapter · UK/Ireland (G): fits · Australia/NZ (I): adapter. 230 V: US 120 V-only devices (hair dryers) need a converter; most chargers are dual-voltage.Maldives-wide
- SafetyVery low crime; the real risks are the sea, the sun and the logistics.
Show all 12 answers
- RestroomsWestern toilets with a hose everywhere tourists stay.Maldives-wide
- Emergency numbers119 police · 102 ambulance · 191 coast guard (not 911, 999 or 000)
- Sundays & holidaysFriday: shops and cafés on local islands close for midday prayers (around 11:30–14:00); public ferries run fewer services.Friday: shops and cafés on local islands close for midday prayers (around 11:30 AM–2:00 PM); public ferries run fewer services.Maldives-wide
- Your embassyFind your embassy's 24-hour line before you fly.
- AirportMLE Velana International (Malé) (Public ferry about 4 h 30 min, three times a week; speedboat about 50 min…
- Getting aroundOn foot only.
Cost cheat-sheet
Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.
- Sit-down mealBBQ dinnerfrom US$50 per person
- Budget bedGuesthouse double room, a night, per roomMVR 60
- Mid-range bedGuesthouse double room, a night, per roomMVR 110
- High-end bedGuesthouse double room, a night, per roomMVR 220
A day, not counting the bed: Budget MVR 60 · Mid MVR 110 · High MVR 200
Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →
DecideWhat it is known for, and when the weather works
Decide
What it is known for, and when the weather works
At a glance
What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.
- Airports
- MLE Velana International (Malé) (Public ferry about 4 h 30 min, three times a week; speedboat about 50 min, sold by Atoll Transfer (check the current schedule))
Best months at a glance
From the guide's best and avoid lists
Jan
Best
30°C (86°F)86°F (30°C)
Feb
Best
30°C (86°F)86°F (30°C)
Mar
Best
31°C (88°F)88°F (31°C)
Apr
Best
32°C (90°F)90°F (32°C)
May
Avoid
31°C (88°F)88°F (31°C)
Jun
Avoid
31°C (88°F)88°F (31°C)
Jul
Avoid
30°C (86°F)86°F (30°C)
Aug
Avoid
30°C (86°F)86°F (30°C)
Sep
Avoid
30°C (86°F)86°F (30°C)
Oct
Avoid
30°C (86°F)86°F (30°C)
Nov
Avoid
30°C (86°F)86°F (30°C)
Dec
Best
30°C (86°F)86°F (30°C)
Best: Dec–Apr. Avoid: May–Nov. Month by month →
Warmest Apr (32°C (90°F)90°F (32°C)), coolest Jan (25°C (77°F)77°F (25°C) low), wettest Oct (14 rain days), driest Feb (3). Averages, not a forecast.
Weather and climate
Ukulhas: next 7 days
Loading forecast…
Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.
Air quality
Loading…
Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.
Jan
30°C (86°F)86°F (30°C)
25°C (77°F)77°F (25°C)
4 rd
Feb
30°C (86°F)86°F (30°C)
25°C (77°F)77°F (25°C)
3 rd
Mar
31°C (88°F)88°F (31°C)
26°C (79°F)79°F (26°C)
5 rd
Apr
32°C (90°F)90°F (32°C)
26°C (79°F)79°F (26°C)
7 rd
May
31°C (88°F)88°F (31°C)
26°C (79°F)79°F (26°C)
12 rd
Jun
31°C (88°F)88°F (31°C)
26°C (79°F)79°F (26°C)
12 rd
Jul
30°C (86°F)86°F (30°C)
25°C (77°F)77°F (25°C)
12 rd
Aug
30°C (86°F)86°F (30°C)
25°C (77°F)77°F (25°C)
12 rd
Sep
30°C (86°F)86°F (30°C)
25°C (77°F)77°F (25°C)
13 rd
Oct
30°C (86°F)86°F (30°C)
25°C (77°F)77°F (25°C)
14 rd
Nov
30°C (86°F)86°F (30°C)
25°C (77°F)77°F (25°C)
12 rd
Dec
30°C (86°F)86°F (30°C)
25°C (77°F)77°F (25°C)
8 rd
High / low, both scales · rd = rain days
Arrive & moveAirports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in
Arrive & move
Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in
Getting around
On foot only. The island is roughly 1 km end to end, so any walk is under 30 minutes. No taxis, no scooters for visitors. Guesthouses arrange boats for diving, snorkelling and fishing. Bring a torch for unlit paths after dark and watch for large puddles in the wet season — they are slippery.
Nearest full guides
Straight-line distance, not travel time
See & doDay-trips, door to door
See & do
Day-trips, door to door
Day-trips
Fushi (picnic island)
goDoor to door: Half day
Guesthouse boat, about 15–20 min
Uninhabited sand island with a long shallow reef; no toilets, bars or shade. Trips from about US$45 per person.
Gaagandu rock
goDoor to door: 2–3 h
Boat from the island
A limestone islet about 15 m long, cracked in two, with moray eels and reef life around it. Snorkel or dive only.
Sandbank
cautionDoor to door: Half day
Guesthouse boat
Sand only, no shade or facilities; usually sold as a fishing or picnic trip from about US$60 per person.
Rasdhoo
goDoor to door: About 1 h
Speedboat about 20 min, or slow boat about 1 h
Nearest bigger island and the North Ari capital; also the seaplane link for the atoll.
Mathiveri, Feridhoo, Maalhos, Himandhoo, Bodufulhadhoo
cautionDoor to door: 35 min–3 h
Inter-island ferry, six days a week except Friday
Cheap and local, but times are fixed and crossings can be rough in the wet season.
Eat & sleepWhich area to sleep in
Eat & sleep
Which area to sleep in
Where to sleep
Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.
Bikini beach strip (south side)
Guesthouses next to the swimming beach and the cafés; shortest walk to snorkelling.
Bodu magu / Jumhoree Magu (main street)
Shops, cafés and several inns; central, 5–10 min walk to either shore.
North end
Quieter, near the desalination plant and Ginger café; best sunset side.
PracticalWhat a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card
Practical
What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card
Cost per day
- Budget
- US$60–100 excl. bed
- Mid
- US$100–160 excl. bed
- High
- US$160+ excl. bed
Trip budget
| Guesthouse double room1 × 3 nights × MVR 110 | MVR 330 |
| Food, local transport, entries2 × 3 days × MVR 110 | MVR 660 |
| Public ferry Malé ↔ Ukulhas, each way2 × MVR 4 | MVR 8 |
| Speedboat Malé ↔ Ukulhas, each way2 × MVR 50 | MVR 100 |
| Guided dive2 × MVR 100 | MVR 200 |
| Snorkelling or sunset cruise2 × MVR 40 | MVR 80 |
| eSIM, about a week of data2 × MVR 15 | MVR 30 |
| Buffer 15%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge | MVR 211 |
| Trip total≈ MVR 270 per person per day, bed included | MVR 1,619 |
2026 estimate in US dollars, the currency guesthouses usually quote; flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.
Prices of common things
| Guesthouse main dish (fish, rice, curry) | US$6–10 plus service charge and GST |
| Ice latte at a beach café | about US$5 |
| Jet ski, 15 minutes | US$25 |
| Guided dive | US$100 |
| Fishing trip | from US$65 per person |
| BBQ dinner | from US$50 per person |
| Public ferry to Malé | US$4 |
| Speedboat to Malé | US$50 |
2026 estimate; check locally.
Watch out
Safety
- No banks, ATMs or money exchange on the island: bring enough US dollars or rufiyaa cash.
- Alcohol is not sold on the island; it is a Muslim local island.
- Dress modestly away from the bikini beach; swimwear only on the designated beach.
- Friday midday prayers close shops for a period.
- Ferries run only a few days a week and can be cancelled in rough weather: build a buffer before your flight.
- Speedboat seats are limited and sold through operators, not at a counter on arrival: book ahead.
- The ferry terminal building has no practical information; ask your guesthouse for times.
Emergency numbers
- Police
- 119
- Ambulance
- 102
- Coast guard
- 191
Pocket card
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Ukulhasއުކުޅަސް
Pocket card · Voykit
My bed tonight
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—
—
މި ގެއަށް ގެންދޭށެވެTake me to this guesthouse, please
Emergency
- Police119
- Ambulance102
- Coast guard191
Embassy
No embassies on the island; most are in Malé or Colombo. Consular help for the atolls is handled from the capital.
My embassy: —
Fare anchors (2026 estimate)
- Public ferry Ukulhas → Malé: about US$4, 4 h 30 min, three days a week
- Speedboat Ukulhas → Malé: about US$50, 50 min
- Rasdhoo → Ukulhas: about 20 min by speedboat, 1 h by slow boat
Say or show
- އައްސަލާމް ޢަލައިކުމް — Hello (assalaamu alaikum)
- ޝުކުރިއްޔާ — Thank you (shukuriyaa)
- ކިހާ އަގެއްތޯ؟ — How much is it? (kihaa ageh thoa)
- ފަޅު ކޮބައިތޯ؟ — Where is the beach? (falhu kobaithoa)
- މަސް ނުބާއްވަން — I don't want fish, please (mas nubaavvan)
Cash is king: no ATMs on the island. Guesthouses and restaurants accept US dollars.
Deep diveWhat this guide covers so far, and its sources
Deep dive
What this guide covers so far, and its sources
Not a trip line yet
This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Ukulhas. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.
What we know, and what is coming
On this page
- Best months: Dec–Apr (dry season, highest prices) · avoid May–Nov (wet season, rougher crossings) · month by month →
- 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
- Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
- Cost per day in 3 bands
- 5 day-trips, door to door
- 7 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers
Coming as the guide grows
- Transfer decision page: public ferry vs speedboat vs seaplane via Rasdhoo, with last-connection buffers before the flight home.
- Four walking clusters: bikini beach and cafés, main street shops, north-end sunset, harbour and ferry terminal.
- Dive and snorkel site pages with season notes (mantas, whale sharks, reef life) and boat departure times.
- Eat pages with opening hours and price bands, plus a cash-only warning for the island.